Dorothy Lazard
Behind the Desk at the Main: A Librarian's Memoir

In her new book, Behind the Desk at the Main: A Librarian’s Memoir, celebrated Oakland librarian and public historian Dorothy Lazard offers an insider’s look at the modern American library. Through personal stories and decades of experience, Lazard demystifies the work of librarians and reveals how libraries serve as vital hubs—and defenders—for knowledge, connection, and civic life.

When Dorothy Lazard became a public librarian, she returned to the building that had shaped her life from childhood. At the flagship branch -of the Oakland Public Library, "the Main", she connected with her hometown to a degree that few people experience. Helping her fellow community members and ultimately becoming the keeper of Oakland’s public history archives, she witnessed the joys and dilemmas that shape one of the most diverse cities in the US.

In Behind the Desk at the Main, Lazard takes readers through the day-to-day life of library work with love, wit, and candor.

Behind the Desk at the Main is available for purchase with an event ticket and at Orinda Books.

This program is made possible in part thanks to our Program Sponsor Orchard Nursery.

Dorothy Lazard, Behind the Desk at the Main

Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation Distinguished Speaker Series presents